DOVER, Del. — President Donald Trump attended a dignified transfer ceremony at Dover Air Force Base on Wednesday for four U.S. service members killed in the Middle East, as the remains of the troops were returned to the United States.
The service members were identified as First Lt. Tyler James Feehan of Hawaii, Sgt. Angel S. Rampersad, Pvt. Isabella Gonzales of Texas and Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton of North Carolina, according to the U.S. military and reports from the ceremony. The four died in separate incidents in Jordan and Iraq during the ongoing conflict with Iran.
Feehan and Gonzales were killed in Iranian missile and drone attacks in Jordan, while Rampersad, who had previously been reported missing following the attacks, was later confirmed dead. Swinton was killed in Iraq during the detonation of an Iranian drone, according to U.S. officials.
The ceremony at Dover, the U.S. military's principal facility for receiving and processing the remains of Americans killed overseas, marked the third dignified transfer Trump has attended since the war with Iran began in February, according to the Associated Press. The White House had announced Trump's attendance ahead of the ceremony.
A dignified transfer is a formal military ritual in which the remains of service members killed in action are moved from an aircraft to a vehicle for transport to a mortuary facility. The ceremony is conducted with military honors and is generally closed to public access.
The latest deaths have brought the number of U.S. service members killed in the conflict to 18, according to Reuters. More than 450 U.S. personnel have also been wounded, while the wider conflict has resulted in substantial casualties in Iran, according to available reports.
The deaths have occurred amid continued hostilities between the United States and Iran. Trump has said Iran would face further consequences for attacks that kill American troops, while U.S. officials have continued to describe the military campaign as ongoing.
The four service members' remains were returned to the United States as their families prepared to receive them. The ceremony concluded the formal transfer process at Dover, with the military proceeding with arrangements to return the fallen to their families and home communities.
